Interview by Brad Durham
Why are you in McMinnville?
I’m in McMinnville because of two doctors. Wally Bigbee and Thurman Pedigo took a chance on a young kid 34-35 years ago. They recruited me out of Texas, and I was bound for Arkansas, where I was born and raised. They came to Texas and got me. At first, I said no, I don’t know anything about Tennessee. They said that they would fly my wife and I up there for a weekend, and to just come up and see us. We did, and thank goodness we drove through Woodbury and instead of Mt. Leo. They put us up at the Americana, and we came anyway!
We have lived here longer than we have lived anywhere. This is our home. Our children are all here.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
If you had asked me that 10-15 years ago, it looked bleak. But I am very hopeful now, overwhelmingly positive.
Ten to fifteen years ago, it looked like a dying town. Looked like a place you could go and grow old and go to bed at 8:00. There was just no life. Now you drive through Main Street on any given day, and there is life now.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
I don’t. I mean I have lived in the city limits and the county, and I don’t see a big difference.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
I would like a week or two to reflect on that…Shooting from the hip, without a lot of time to think about it…
I would make McMinnville more dog friendly.
I would put more walking trails and bicycle lanes.
I would make it more walking friendly. For instance, if you were walking from here to the mall, you would be putting your life at risk, and people are doing that every day.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
Probably our small-town values like family and friends. And faith, and I guess that could divide us and unite us. There are a lot of faith-based folks in this town. I think that has potential to unite us more than divide us.
What do you think divides us?
Faith (laughs). I think we get caught up in issues like politics and parties that really don’t serve us well. And in our day-to-day lives, those things don’t really matter, but for some reason we get really caught up in it. We get very concerned about who is doing what in Washington, and probably we should be more concerned about what is going on right around us.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
It is A hard job. I mean the system has a hard job. I don’t know enough about it to really be critical of it. I do know…I went to public school my entire life, including Mississippi, including inner-city Mississippi. I’m a product of public schools, and I think it turned out great for me.
I think there are some challenges. I think teachers are under a lot of pressure. Administrations are under a lot of pressure. They are being asked to do a lot of things that parents used to do.
Ask me the question again. I guess my answer to that is that I would like to see it improve. I would like to see the powers-to-be, whoever that is, try to improve the quality…whether that is paying teachers more or bringing in better teachers…I would like to see it improve.
I don’t know if it is true or not, but I am told that we are not paying teachers very well.
No, I don’t agree, and I think we need to do better.
Is everything you need in McMinnville exist in terms of groceries, retail stores, churches, restaurants?
If you are asking me, yes! If you are asking me personally, I would say yes. If you asked my wife, and you are not interviewing my wife, then the answer is no.
My wife will go to Murfreesboro or Chattanooga on a regular basis (for groceries). I don’t know why we can’t support a better option than what we have. I don’t understand the economics of it. It may have something to do with our demographics.
For me, I am a vegan, and we are very blessed to have an “incredible” vegan restaurant (Juicy’s) right down town. That is such a treasure in our little town. I love Begonia’s, and I wish the acoustics were a little better for old people like me. But still, a step in the right direction. Collins River. Smooth Rapids has a black bean burger that I have quite regularly. I am very pleased with the restaurant selection here, and I am willing to support a new one if one comes along.
There is no shortage of churches, and my problem with churches does not have to do with availability. There should be a church for anyone in this town.
Amazon…I try to shop local. I brought my shoes from Mad Cow and my wife’s Christmas present at Lemon Tree. We have a lot of things going on.
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or if it should be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
Again, I am no expert and I don’t know all the answers, but I am told that other cities bring their homeless here and drop them off because we do such a good job. Is that true? That is what I have been told. Surrounding counties bringing them here or directing them this way.
Are we doing enough? Probably not, we could always improve taking care of our less fortunate, fellow human beings. I think we could do better. I could do better. I get laser focused on what I am doing at the moment…we can do better.
I think we should probably become a safe haven for illegal immigrants — in my opinion.
What did I not ask you that you would like to comment about regarding McMinnville and its people?
Well, I just want to go on the record, whatever that means, saying that I am blessed and fortunate to have stumbled upon this little town 35 years ago. It has been great to me. The people have been great to me. I’ve had opportunities to leave, but this is home. This is where I had children and raised them. I’ve got children who live here, and grandchildren who live here. This is where I intend to be. I’m building a house, probably the house I am going to die in. This is where I look to be buried or have my ashes spread. I think it is a great town. I like the direction we’re going in. I see good things for our future. I am concerned about divisiveness of some people in the community, but the only way to combat them is to love them and try to get on their good side, befriend them. That is all I got.
The next complete interview will be Mandy Eller.
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